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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

MUSIC #50: NIGHT IN LONDON 1967 (HINDI OST)


Unlike the other notable Hindi movies of 1967 such as Upkar, Ram Aur Shyam, An Evening In Paris, Farz and Hamraaz, Night In London seems to be buried in obscurity in the movie and music vaults. I really can’t understand why because I think it is one of the best soundtracks of that year.

I may not have seen this movie which stars Biswajeet, Mala Sinha, Helen and Anwar Hussain (to be honest, I can’t remember actually) but I definitely grew up listening to the songs! And what awesome songs they are. Especially Mera Naam Hai Jameela. I just love it – The opening music with the folk guitar and bass electric guitar, followed by the violins….the bongos during the verses….and the great use of trumpets, trombone and the electric guitar in between the verses….spectacular! And brought to life in the movie by the alluring Helen. Check it out in this YouTube clip.



Now, am I imagining it, or do I hear snippets of the music that will be used nearly 25 years later by the composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal in their hit song “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai” from the Subhash Ghai movie, Khalnayak? Do you hear it? Well, please correct me if I am wrong.

And then, there is the jazzy Nazar Na Lag Jaye and the beautiful love song Ba Hosh-O-Hawas, both by Mohd Rafi and another of my favourite, Sun Ai Bahar-E-Husn sung by my favourite singer, Mahendra Kapoor .

So, four years on, the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo just kept getting better and better, their popularity strengthened by their partnership with lyricist Anand Bakshi. My verdict? 5 star bliss.


Night In London 1967: The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. Night In London – Mohd Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Chorus

2. Mera Naam Hai Jameela – Lata Mangeshkar and Chorus

3. Baagh Men Phool – Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd Rafi

Side Two

1. Nazar Na Lag Jaye – Mohd Rafi

2. Ba Hosh-O-Hawas – Mohd Rafi

3. Sun Ai Bahar-E-Husn – Lata Mangeshkar and Mahendra Kapoor

4. Mere Yaar Tomi – Mohd Rafi


Dedication: This posting and album is dedicated to my friend SE. Hope you enjoy the album friend. It is one I will definitely bring along to that deserted island ;-)
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12 comments:

  1. NasirSeptember 15, 2010 at 5:51 AM

    The songs of Night in London very much ring a bell and I agree with you that the soundtracks are one of the best for the year 1967.
    NAZAR NA LAG JAAYE was specially a favourite in musical shows and the beer bars in Mumbai.

    Great Album selection and yes, deserves the 5-star rating.

    ReplyDelete
  2. VeenSeptember 15, 2010 at 11:26 AM

    I can understand why NAZAR NA LAG JAAYE would be popular in the bars...just a jazzy tune and I just dig those guitars. How I wish I was a teenager in the 60's!

    And thanks for supporting me on the rating score.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mister NaiduSeptember 17, 2010 at 6:20 AM

    Thanks, Veen for this one. Its a gem. All the songs are great. I really think "Nazar Na Lag Jaye" could have been a hit during the 60's in the west if someone would have done an English language version.

    I agree on everything you said about about "Mera Naam Jameela." It really is a great song with a fantastic arrangement of the instruments. And its one of the rare times that Lata sang for Helen. The choreography for the video is excellent and its one Helen's best performances. I like how Helen sensuously and slowly strips off her raincoat before the dance starts. :D And yes, the song definitely reminds one of “Choli Ke Peeche Kya Ha" which features that memorable dance by Madhuri. I guess if you can borrow musical inspiration from a previous composition of your own it can't be called plagiarism.:)

    The title song is great fun. Although the chorus is a bit campy (Night in London Uh-Huh).:) And the video for it is fascinating because it features Madhumati doing her best Helen impersonation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rMZOtv9CHE

    Another favorite of mine is "Mere Yaar Tom" in which Johny Walker pesters Helen until Helen's dog (Tommy) comes to her rescue. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcwp01_o-mere-yaar-tommy_music lol.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2010 at 6:53 AM

    Veen,

    Thank you for uploading a wonderful album. Nazar na lag jaye is my favourite of the album, it is a very catchy funky track and would not be out of place as you have mentioned in the bars and shows of that time.

    Also your right about the reminiscence of " Choli ke peeche kya hai- most certainly you can see the resemblance.

    Keep up the great Work Veen and im sure there will be a few more Vinyl's you will be uploading soon :-)

    Appreciate the dedication!

    ReplyDelete
  5. VeenSeptember 17, 2010 at 11:11 AM

    Mr Naidu

    I totally agree. I think the song Nazar Na Lag Jaaye would have been a hit. The guitars in the music just brought the song to life!

    LOL....yes a bit of strip-tease happening in the Jameela song alright. Enough to send any hot blooded males' hormones to play havoc...LOL :P

    And no, it isn't plagiarism if you copy your own work...maybe lack of inspiration or creative awakening, depending on the situation, I guess. Definitely an awakening or eureka moment in this instance!

    ReplyDelete
  6. VeenSeptember 17, 2010 at 11:18 AM

    Hi SE

    I am so glad I wasn't imagining about the "Choli Ke Peeche" connection. I have two people agreeing to hearing the "pigeon bits" (coo, coo, coo, as I call it!

    And you are welcome mate. Hope you enjoy this rare gem.

    ReplyDelete
  7. VeenOctober 2, 2010 at 11:19 AM

    http://www.mediafire.com/?o68ag43m5se49

    ReplyDelete
  8. D.SidhuMay 30, 2012 at 1:40 AM

    Thanks for sharing such a great collection.pls upload Purab Aur Parchim & Upkar OST.

    ReplyDelete
  9. J Thyme...kindNovember 30, 2013 at 9:59 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. VeenDecember 1, 2013 at 9:07 PM

    Thank you J Thyme for visiting my blog and liking my choice of music. PC of music from the third floor does a great job and has a great selection of music. I guess we differ in our appreciation of the albums we post but at the end of the day, we all enjoy good music.

    ReplyDelete
  11. J Thyme...kindDecember 2, 2013 at 3:33 AM

    Hi Even. It's about intimacy! I very much enjoy listening to a recording that someone loves and knows like their heart. When downloading an album I really prefer to listen to something that someone knows intimately, not something they just got in the mail last week and can't decide if it's a good record or not. If you ever care to discover the music of Brasil, then please visit my page. I love the music of Brasil and there are many great recordings there. Ones that I know intimately! They have their share of fine OST's too. http://jthymekind.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. J Thyme...kindDecember 2, 2013 at 4:34 AM

    What a beautiful language is English. With it, I can convey thoughts and feelings of my experiences here on my Earth-walk. Kasme Vaade OST is a perfect score by the master of song R.D. Burman. One I have enjoyed countless times and will continue to do for years to come. Gee, that was easy.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments. I will respond to them shortly.

Veen